Italian Stuffed Squash

As you can tell from most of my posts I love one-pot wonders and soups/stews. If I can get the entire dinner into one dish I'm happy. I'm not sure why this -- but I tend to lean that way. I was surfing around aimlessly and found this recipe and knew it would be easy to make it vegan. I made these for dinner Monday night, but I felt something was missing. Last night I heated to two leftovers and decided to cook organic baby spinach  in a dab of olive oil with 3 big cloves of slices garlic. Yum! I served the squash over the spinach and it took the recipe over the top!!! Give this one a try for sure.

• 2 large yellow squash
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 green bell pepper, chopped
•  2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 1 package Field Roast Italian Sausage, pulled into pieces
• 2 8-ounce cans tomato and basil tomato sauce
• 3/4 cup Diaya mozzarella shreds
• 1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
• 1/3 cup Panko
• 1 tablespoon canola oil 

Preheat oven to 350. Cut squash in half and scoop out seeds (I used my melon baller) then set aside.

Heat canola oil and saute the onions, peppers and mushrooms over medium high heat. When onions start to turn clear add garlic and saute for one minute more. Remove from heat and put into separate mixing bowl.

Brown Italian sausage together with the parsley and basil.

Add cooked Vegetables to back to the skillet. Add tomato sauce and simmer until the mixture has thickened and liquid has cooked off, about 5 minutes, then turn off heat.

Add 3/4 cup of shredded cheese to the pan and stir.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spoon the meat-cheese mixture into squash, pressing down with the spoon and mounding it up a little over the top.

Bake stuffed squash for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and top each squash with some panko. Put back in oven and bake 10-15 minutes more, until squash is slightly soft when pierced with a fork. Serve hot. 

Enjoy!

Fig, Applesauce & Almond Loaf

I had everything needed to make this recipe vegan. I found it in my Cooking Light, October 2010 issue and had ripped it out to make. Yesterday was kind of a lazy, get a few things done kind of day so I decided to give this loaf a try. It's delicious and super moist. We ate it warm from the oven without anything added. However, the original calls for cream cheese and jelly smeared on it.

Streusel:

• 2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tablespoons coarsely chopped almonds
• 1 tablespoon chilled Earth Balance margarine, cut into small pieces
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Bread:

• 1 cup dried figs
• 1/2 cup boiling water
• Cooking spray
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 2 egg replacements (I used EnerG)
• 3/4 cup natural unsweet applesauce
• 1/3 cup plain soy yogurt
• 1/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (if you have almond extract use it - I didn't)
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup whole-wheat flour
• 1/3 cup chopped almonds, toasted
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350°. Make the streusel: combine the streusel ingredients in a small bowl, stirring with a fork until crumbly; set aside.

To prepare bread: combine figs and 1/2 cup boiling water in a small bowl; let stand 30 minutes. Coat 2 (8-inch) loaf pans with cooking spray; dust with 1 tablespoon flour.

Place egg replacements (made according to package directions) in a medium bowl. Add applesauce, yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract; stir well. Add sugar; stir well.

Combine flours and remaining ingredients in a large bowl, stirring with a whisk.

Drain figs, and coarsely chop.

Add figs and applesauce mixture to flour mixture, stirring until just combined. Divide batter between prepared pans.

Sprinkle streusel over batter.

Bake at 350° for 55 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 15 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pans.

Cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy!

Peanut Noodles with Chicken

I'm a huge fan of all Asian type foods and who doesn't love some peanut noodles?? I found the originial recipe at SkinnyTaste.com and made a few modifications. The list of ingredients seems kind of long but don't be put off you are making 3 things and them combining them all. It actually came together pretty quickly.

• 1 cup Better Than Chicken no-chicken broth
• 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce
• 2 tablespoons agave
• 2 tablespoons Tamari
• 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, grated

• 1 package Morning Star Chik'n Strips
• salt and pepper (to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha chili sauce (more or less to taste)
• juice of 1/2 lime
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon Tamari
• 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
• 8 ounces thin noodles (spaghetti, rice, whatever you have)

• 3/4 cup green onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 cup shredded carrots
• 1 1/4 cups cup shredded broccoli slaw 
• 2 tablespoons chopped peanuts 
• 1 lime, sliced 

For the peanut sauce: Combine broth, peanut butter, sriracha, agave, soy sauce, ginger, and 2 cloves grated garlic in a small saucepan and simmer over medium-low heat stirring occasionally until sauce becomes smooth and well blended, about 5-10 minutes. Set aside.

Boil water for the noodles cook pasta according to package instructions.

Place chicken in a bowl with salt and pepper, sriracha, lime, garlic, ginger and soy sauce. Stir well.

Heat a large skillet or wok until hot. Add oil and sauté chicken mixture on medium-high heat until cooked, about 2-3 minutes; remove from heat and set aside.

In the same skillet that you used for the chicken, add crushed garlic, scallions, carrots, broccoli slaw and salt, sauté until tender crisp, about 1-2 minutes. (Forgot to take a pic of this step.)

Drain noodles and toss with peanut sauce and additional broth if needed to loosen the sauce.

When chicken is cooked, toss with noodles.

Divide noodles/chicken mixture between 6 bowls, top with sauteed vegetables, and chopped peanuts (or you can toss everything together) and garnish with cilantro and lime wedges.  Enjoy!

White Bean and Chorizo Stew

The weather was cooler today and it was quite windy so I decided a soup or stew would make a nice lunch. I had some kale that needed to be used and came across this recipe at MyRecipes. I made a few changes: I had 2 chorizo in the frig, the use me or lose me kale and fire-roasted tomatoes. Here is my version.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 links chorizo sausage, cut into half moons
• 1 zucchini, quartered and cut into (1/2-inch) slices (about 2 cups)
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 6 cups chopped trimmed kale (about 1/2 pound)
• 1 cup water (depends on how juicy you want it)
• 2 (16-ounce) cans cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
• 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced fire-roasted tomatoes, undrained
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Sauté onion and sausage 4 minutes or until sausage is browned.

Add zucchini and garlic; cook 2 minutes.

Add kale and remaining ingredients; bring to a boil.

Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Serve immediately. Makes 4 large servings.

Enjoy!